B&W R&D Processing & Digital Director

Job Title: B&W R&D Processing & Digital Director

Function: Research & Development

Location: Port Sunlight R&D

Work Level: WL3X

The B&W R&D Processing and B&W R&D Digital Director will deliver 2 roles. The Processing component will be roughly 70% of the job with digital at 30%. Existing dedicated digital resources will report in to this director in addition to the X-site B&W Processing resources. As sub-functions engage the digital strategy, the scope of the role may need to be adjusted to ensure the programme is fully implemented.

B&W Processing Role
In Processing, this leader will play a critical role in ensuring that increasingly complex Beauty & Wellbeing innovations are translated into robust, scalable and winning products in market—quickly, reliably and with confidence of execution. As product formats, sensorial expectations and manufacturing constraints continue to increase, while innovation cycle times compress to meet the demands of e‑commerce and high‑velocity markets, strong senior accountability for processing remains essential to business performance. In addition to scaling up formulations in existing and new formats, this role also includes development of advanced processing technologies to enable our B&W SC to deliver through Unilever and CM factories both novel processing-driven formats as well as enabling small scale production of premium products via emerging dosing, filling and varianting technologies.

The Processing role will also be responsible for driving digitisation, standardisation and the applied use of AI to augment processing scientists and engineers, improving reuse of learning, and reducing avoidable complexity across end‑to‑end R&D ways of working.
B&W Digital R&D Role.

This role is accountable for the broader digital and AI‑enabled transformation across B&W R&D, ensuring that new systems, standards and tools remain grounded in real technical delivery needs and drive measurable improvements in innovation speed, cost and quality. The purpose of the role is not only to protect executional excellence today, but to shape and drive implementation of a future‑fit, digitally enabled R&D ecosystem that sustains innovation advantage for B&W over the long term.

Key Processing Accountabilities

• Leading Process Development across for all innovations, GM expansion and compliance programmes, bringing both discipline and agility to projects, ensuring product design intent is executed brilliantly across a diverse manufacturing footprint of over 40 UL factories and 150 Collaborative Manufacturers.
• Partner closely with global Supply Chain and key global factories (e.g. Minburi, Cikarang, Bydgoszcz, CuChi, Hefei, Dubai, Vinhedo, Sagamihara, Tortuguitas, Monterrey, RYK) to develop and land the next generation of Ultrafast and multi-stage manufacturing process for both Hair and Skin.
• Strategic management of over 400+ Main Plant Trials across Hair and Skin and to land in-year programme OTIF and validate future technology portfolios
• Leading 20+ BG Process Engineers across four global sites and a vibrant B&W Processing Network of 70+ engineers worldwide—fostering collaboration and ownership to create an end-to-end Processing Function that is a true source of competitive advantage for B&W.
• Drive standardisation and digitisation of all Process functional processes across BG and BUs to improve speed and agility of scale up processed and speed to market.
• Own and lead the annual B&W R&D Capex process, setting strategic direction, priorities and investment choices aligned to B&W R&D strategy and needs.

Key Processing Interfaces

• B&W RDLT and Extended RDLT
• Formulation R&D, Brand R&D
• Supply Chain Global Leadership team
• Sourcing Units Engineering teams
• Pilot Plant / Site Facilities / CAPEX in R&D planners / Finance

Key Digital Accountabilities

• Build, own and continuously evolve the B&W R&D Digital Strategy to urgently transform efficiency and effectiveness. Define clear priorities, roadmaps and outcomes that accelerate innovation delivery, improve productivity and increase confidence of execution through digital, data and AI enabled capabilities.
• Managing digital dedicated resources.
• Ensure agreed strategic digital implementations into B&W R&D are led and resourced.
• Partner all B&W R&D functions and especially Digital R&D to identify capability gaps and opportunities to improve speed, quality and productivity. Proactively shape shared priorities, standards and roadmaps—ensuring digital, data and AI‑enabled solutions address real end‑to‑end R&D needs.
• Develop and embed a robust governance framework across B&W R&D, ensuring digital programme transparency, clear ownership, and disciplined accountability for delivery against agreed outcomes.
• Champion a digital first culture and mindset across B&W R&D, embedding digital, data and AI enabled thinking into how work is prioritised, designed and delivered. Role model and personally lead the use and implementation of digital capabilities.

Key Digital Interfaces

• B&W RDLT and Extended RDLT
• Data & Analytics team B&W director (formerly UniOps)
• B&W R&D sub-functions (Innovation, Formulation, CTI, Processing, Packaging, Operations).
• Digital R&D Leadership team
• B&W Data office and B&W North America Specifications Management Team.
• Digital Capability Experts

Key Skills & Experience

• Extensive experience in Process Development or manufacturing focused R&D, translating complex innovation demands into robust, scalable factory processes and programmes. Strong understanding of how processing enables quality, cost, safety and differentiated consumer value.
• Proven experience leading digital, data and/or AI enabled programmes in a technical or R&D environment, with clear focus on measurable delivery and productivity impact. Credible in shaping digital strategy and ensuring tools and platforms are grounded in real engineering and scientific work.
• Experienced leader of high performing, geographically distributed teams, with a proven ability to set clear direction, build accountability and sustain performance in complex environments.
• Demonstrated ability to operate end to end across complex systems, balancing short term delivery with long term capability development. Experienced in aligning senior stakeholders across R&D and other functions to drive alignment and high quality decisions.
• Strong knowledge of the end-to-end innovation process, functions and markets preferred, understanding both the interrelationship of functions and challenges of future channel and market shifts
• Demonstrated strong capability in developing talent, empowering leaders and fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Education & Qualifications

• Degree or above in Science, Engineering or a related subject. Chemical Engineering and/or previous experience in Processing is preferred. Digital-related qualifications and/or experience will also be an important consideration.

NOTES

By applying for this vacancy, you are confirming that you have made your Line Manager aware of your application and that you are at a point in your career with Unilever where it is appropriate for you to be applying for other positions.

Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact your Talent Partner Wes Scott on [email protected] 

What we offer

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (unilever.com).

Relocation to the UK

Please be aware if you are applying for this role from outside the UK, if successful, your application will be treated as a self-initiated Change Location Outside of Country (CLOC) transfer. This means any relocation costs must be self-funded with the potential to reclaim some specific pre-approved expenses up to £5,000. Please speak to your Talent Partner if you have any questions.